State to give update on Taylor River Bridge

Friday

Apr 4, 2014 at 2:00 AM

HAMPTON FALLS — The New Hampshire Department of Transportation will hold a public informational meeting on Wednesday, April 9 at the Hampton Falls Town Hall to update the towns of Hampton and Hampton Falls on the current status of the Taylor River Bridge project.

Nancy Rineman

HAMPTON FALLS — The New Hampshire Department of Transportation will hold a public informational meeting on Wednesday, April 9 at the Hampton Falls Town Hall to update the towns of Hampton and Hampton Falls on the current status of the Taylor River Bridge project.

This will be the first public informational meeting on the topic since June 15, 2010, when DOT officials held a combined meeting in Hampton's Town Hall to discuss potential plans that would replace the bridge carrying I-95 over the Taylor River, and either remove or replace the dam located immediately upstream of the bridge.

Now DOT officials say they have revised the project plan, focusing first on the bridge replacement portion, and leaving the dam in place until the bridge is completed.

DOT officials began a study on the Taylor River Bridge following the floods that occurred during the "Mother's Day Storm" in 2006.

The width of the dam's opening was deemed to be too small for the immense flow of water that occurs with intense storm surges, according to DOT officials. Added to that is the knowledge that the bridge's abutments are made of steel, which is not compatible with salt water, officials said.

In 2007, residents in both Hampton Falls and Hampton voiced concerns about the fate of the Taylor River dam that maintains high water levels on the west side of I-95. Many said they feared the project could destroy the natural landscape or recreational opportunities around the river, such as skating, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. An abundance of wildlife that inhabits the river's banks could also be at risk, according to area residents.

Despite the flooding issues suffered by residents of Taylor Rives Estates in Hampton, residents there supported keeping the dam in place rather than losing the aesthetic values made possible by the dam.

Other concerns included the possibility that removing the dam could negatively affect residents' wells, septic systems, insect issues and fire protection services.

Although the bridge replacement project was initially slated to begin in the spring of 2009, new information sent to Hampton Falls and Hampton officials state that the construction start date is anticipated to be summer of 2015, with a completion date expected to be the summer of 2018.

Hampton Town Manager Fred Welch said he and other town officials will be attending next week's DOT public meeting in Hampton Falls, although he said he understands that new plans call for a two-phase project with regard to the Taylor River Bridge replacement.

Welch said at the last meeting, which was held in Hampton in 2010, Hampton was "very specific" on the topic of the dam, and what damages the town would incur if the bottom soil contaminants were ever displaced to Hampton Harbor.

"That would wipe out the estuary," Welch said. "We're concerned."

Welch said he will be going to the meeting knowing that the bridge replacement is the topic of discussion, but with an interest in what other information might be forthcoming regarding the dam.

The April 9th meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. for viewing plans and discussion prior to the DOT Bureau of Highway Design presentation at 7:00 p.m.

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